The UK is in ‘urgent’ need of increasing its digital capabilities to tackle COVID-19 challenges and to deliver a levelled-up economy, a new report by TechUK has found.

The UK-wide report says that policies must extend beyond the most obvious levers of broadband and digital skills to encompass issues such as digital adoption, data ecosystems, innovation funding, and investment and trade support.

Even partially addressing the digital capital gap by improving digital adoption and digital skills among SMEs would boost the UK’s economic output by as much as £145 billion, creating 2.7 million new jobs, and increase combined revenues among SMEs by £325 billion, according to additional research by Sage.

Prompted by its recent research, the tech trade association has identified eight components necessary for an area to benefit from digital innovation:

• Effective collaboration and coordination – across the public and private sectors

• Digital skills for all – skillsets that encompass everything from basic computer and internet literacy to cutting-edge knowledge about AI and quantum computing

• Digital adoption – the uptake of digital tech by firms of all sizes leads to gains in efficiency and productivity and allows for more innovation

• Data ecosystems that unlock the economic and societal power of data securely and effectively, enabling collaboration to respond and openly innovate to solve common challenges

• Digital infrastructure that provides high-quality, high-speed and resilient internet
connections – essential for participating and thriving in our digitising economy and society

• Sustained access to finance and investment for firms

• Support for research and innovation to sustain growth and productivity increases

• Increasing uptake of digital platforms and electronic processes to make it easier for smaller firms to export to new markets

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